Chapter 654
The Devers quickly scanned the audience. Those who looked angry were probably the members of the Pythagorean School of Thought. Those who looked at them with dissatisfaction were probably the students of the school, the teachers, and some people of Diónia. There were also some confused people who did not understand what was going on. Some of the invited well-known scholars in the front row looked on coldly, some focused on the wall, and some gestured with their hands as if they were doing calculations …
The Devers knew that the reason why Mentoticus, the dean of the school of mathematics, was not here was because he happened to have a bad cold these days. Even his speech was delivered by his students. If he was here, this would not have happened.
Thinking of this, the Devers glared at Martikoris again, then said in a loud voice, "Everyone, this is the temple of academia. In this sacred place full of knowledge, there is no such thing as birth, status, or the size of one's fist or the loudness of one's voice. Everything is based on knowledge! Now, I'm standing here, not as a king, but as a seeker of knowledge. I'm seriously asking all of you if the speech and argument made by this young scholar is wrong or not. "
"Well said, Your Majesty!" Your Majesty! "Someone in the audience shouted, followed by a round of applause.
The applause became louder and louder. The Devers had to ask them to keep quiet, then asked loudly again, "Is this argument wrong?"
The venue was silent for a while.
A member of the Pythagorean School of Thought stood up and said, "Of course it's wrong!"
There was another uproar in the venue.
The Devers quietly made an inviting gesture and said, "Well, come up and verify its error!"
The member shook his head and said, "I don't need to go up. This argument itself is wrong. There is no number that is independent of the ratio of integers and integers!"
The Devers's face became gloomy. "The authenticity of knowledge should be proved by knowledge, not by being a rogue! If the Pythagorean School of Thought still uses this method to disrupt the conference, not only will I question your academic level, but I will also list you as unwelcome in this conference and expel you from Turií! "
Devers said coldly, "Now let me ask you again, is this argument correct?"
The members of the Pythagorean School, including Lysius, looked at each other nervously, but no one stood up to speak. Why was Hippasus killed back then? This was because although the members of the Pythagorean school of thought were conservative and stubborn, their mathematical level was definitely at the top of the Mediterranean Sea. They knew in their hearts that what Hippasus had verified was correct. Over the past few decades, the members of the School had not dared to touch this domain because of this reason. Now, of course, they didn't dare to stand up alone to distort the truth and be laughed at by other scholars.
The hall was silent for a while again.
The Athens mathematician, Theaetetus, stood up. His expression was solemn as he slowly said, "I believe that Fostercada's entire argument process is correct. The square root of two is indeed a … new number."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone shouted, "You're talking nonsense!"
Devers raised his eyebrows, pointed at him and shouted, "Get him out of here!"
The soldiers immediately rushed over, grabbed the man's arm, and dragged him out of the hall.
Devers slammed the table hard and said sternly, "I said, if anyone is dissatisfied, they can come up and prove it. If anyone causes trouble down there, don't blame me for being rude! "
After Devers finished speaking, the noise in the hall quieted down.
Then, several mathematicians from Cullen stood up one after another and believed that Fostercada's argument was correct.
"Good job, Fostercada!" Some people in the audience shouted, some applauded, and some congratulated Fostercada. The hall began to become lively.
The members of the Pythagorean School of thought stood up angrily and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, Devers said loudly, "Scholars of the Pythagorean School, please listen to me before you decide whether to leave or not."
Devers's words made Lysius and the others temporarily stop in their tracks.
Devers said loudly with a solemn expression, "We humans have developed from the ignorance of ancient times to the present day, and we have some understanding of the mysteries of nature. It is precisely because of the diligent efforts of our predecessors that we have made one after another.
Today, you will definitely have more knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world than great scholars like Thales, Anaximander, and Pythagoras of a hundred years ago. It is not because you are better than them, but because you are standing on the shoulders of these giants, inheriting their knowledge and using it to discover more knowledge. This is the reason why we Greeks and the entire human race are constantly developing and becoming more prosperous. Otherwise, mankind will only stagnate and eventually perish.
Pythagoras was a great scholar. He expanded the field of mathematics and enriched the application of mathematics in society. However, he was not omniscient or omniscient. In fact, there was no such thing as an omniscient or omniscient person in this world. Even the powerful God Zeus had to consult others before he knew who would replace his position in the future.
Many of the creative ideas of the Pythagorean School were discovered by later members. I believe you all know this very well in your hearts. Therefore, of course, he may have made some mistakes due to his lack of understanding of the world at that time.
It doesn't matter if there are mistakes, as long as you can discover them and have the courage to correct them! Therefore, an outstanding member of your school, Hippasus, discovered the problem of this' unnatural number '! "
Devers patted the wall with his hand and said excitedly, "He bravely said it because of his true love for mathematics! However, the truth is often in the hands of a few. If you want to defend the truth, you have to pay the price in blood! Hippasus died! He died in the fear, conservatism, and ignorance of the other members of the Pythagorean School!
You clung to a wrong understanding of Pythagoras, shackling your thinking and sealing your wisdom. You are like ostriches buried in the sand, thinking that you can't see anything. Do you think that this number, independent of the ratio of integers and integers, doesn't exist?! "
At this point, Devers turned to Forstcader and asked, "Tell me, how many numbers like this are there?"
Forstcader immediately said loudly, "There are many, but I haven't counted specifically. For example, the square root of three, the square root of five … These numbers mainly exist in the calculation of geometry!"
"Very good!" Devers nodded and said loudly with more confidence, "I believe that you people of the Pythagorean School of Thought rarely study geometry, because as long as you do, you will encounter this problem! I believe that there are people who have doubts about this problem, but once they think of the tragic experience of Hippasus, they will choose to retreat!
Geometry should be the most important field of mathematics, closely related to our practical lives. But it is sad! Because of a wrong understanding, it has become a sore point in your research of mathematics for a hundred years. It has become a stumbling block in your improvement and expansion of the field of mathematics!
Here, I want to give you and everyone here a sentence, 'I love my teacher, but I love the truth even more!' Because only the true truth is the source that sustains the world. It is there, and only the brave who keep learning and working hard, who are not afraid of authority, and who are not afraid of sacrifice, can continue to discover it! I look forward to Diónia Academy, the Pythagorean School, and all the scholars here to study the world with this spirit. Then, you will definitely make more discoveries, which will make our civilization more prosperous! That's all I have to say. "
As soon as Devers's voice trailed off, the whole audience stood up, and there was a warm cheer in the hall. Even well-known scholars such as Saetetus applauded.
Martikoris applauded and said excitedly, "Well said! You've touched my heart! What Your Majesty said is exactly why I agreed to let Forstcader give a speech! "
The students next to him were not in the mood to criticize this teacher who was good at research but bad at words. They were all applauding with all their might.
Some of the members of the Pythagorean School of Thought left the hall angrily, while some of the members led by Lv Xishi chose to stay.
Devers turned to Forstcader and praised him, "With your fearless academic spirit, you made such a bold speech. I think all the scholars in the Mediterranean world will be grateful to you, because you have swept away a major obstacle in their research of mathematics! I hope you can always maintain this spirit and make greater achievements in your academic research! Make more discoveries! "
Forstcader replied excitedly, "I will, Your Majesty!"
Devers patted him on the shoulder with relief, then faced the audience, bowed respectfully, and left the hall.
Lv Xishi and the others looked at his back with complicated expressions.
Saetetus and the others watched him leave with respect.
More of the audience applauded him even more enthusiastically.
The big event that happened in the hall of the School of Mathematics quickly spread throughout the Diónia Academy. Countless scholars and students were surprised by this new mathematical discovery. While they felt sad for the death of Hippasos, they were also shocked by the thought-provoking speech of the King of Diónia at the hall.
Especially when Devers said, "I love my teacher, but I love the truth more." It made countless people repeat it over and over again, and it was very touching. It also gave the young students more motivation.
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